That Day
by ArollaPine
Summary: The story begins on the day when Adrien was rescued from the crowd of fans. It turns out that it was the very important day. Warning! A lot of season 2 spoilers!
1. That Day

_**Spoilers warning!**_ This story begins just after the "Gorizilla" episode (MLB Season 2). There will be a lot of references to the show. Feel warned! And enjoy reading!

L.K.

o o o

That day was so eventful! Adrien felt so excited that he couldn't fall asleep at all. By talking about everything that had happened to him today he drove his kwami crazy. Plagg tried to express his boredom by yawning in a very theatrical manner every time Adrien mentioned about the movie he had watched – with his mother as a lead female role.

"It's rather strange that of all things that happened to you today, the film made the biggest impression on you…" Plagg murmured wryly.

"I've wanted to watch that movie for so long!" Adrien replied surprised. "And I finally managed to watch it. And I watched it with my dad, can you believe it? That was really something!"

"Yeah…" Plagg rolled his eyes. "I'd be rather interested in the fact that your jump from let's say the hundredth floor could have been the last thing you've done in your life."

"Ladybug caught me."

"It was quite close she wouldn't manage. You were lucky you were looking down, not up. You didn't see what I saw."

"What did you see?"

"Trapped Ladybug. You should be thankful that Gorizilla released her at the right time."

Adrien frowned. It also bothered him a little. He had been trapped in Gorizilla's fist, so he knew perfectly that it was impossible to escape from his grip. Even with Ladybug's superpowers…

"She has so beautiful eyes…" Adrien sighed, remembering the moment when she had caught him.

"What have I done?!" Plagg moaned. "Now you'll be making those goo-goo eyes?"

"Oh, Plagg… If you could see how she looked at me… You have no idea…"

Plagg looked like he felt sick.

"Cheese… Give me cheese…" he murmured and rolled his eyes at boy's dreamy smile.

"I almost blurted out that I'm Cat Noir." Adrien remembered suddenly. "I forgot myself because of her look."

"Haven't you noticed anything strange in it?" Plagg asked, eating his beloved camembert.

"What?"

"Does Ladybug look at you the same way when you're Cat Noir?" kwami mumbled, more interested in cheese than the conversation. Adrien became sad. No, she'd never looked at Cat Noir like that.

"You mean she's in love with me?" it dawned upon him.

"What?!" Plagg almost choked with cheese. "I didn't say anything like that!"

"But you're absolutely right!" Adrien jumped up from the bed.

"No, I'm not! Definitely _not_!"

"She had to had _me_ on her mind when she told me there was another boy. And that would mean that she would never fall in love with me, because she's already in love with me!"

"It's horrible, if this sentence makes sense to you, kid…"

"Plagg, you're genius!"

"What have I done…" kwami muttered, escaping from Adrien's glaring eyes. "Tikki will kill me…"

o o o

Adrien woke up in the morning in the same mood in which he had fallen asleep – overwhelmed with euphoria of being mutually in love. He closed his eyes for a moment to finish a wonderful dream he had dreamed just before waking up. The dream in which he hugged Ladybug who was wearing that cute tight pyjamas…

He opened his eyes immediately and flushed. No, no, no! This dream didn't take place! He shook his head to get rid of that picture. No, not Marinette! Not in her pyjamas! In which she looked so attractive, by the way. No, no, _no_! He didn't think that at all! It's all the brain's fault. It mixed up all things that had happened to him yesterday and made a senseless cocktail!

Adrien jumped out the bed, but the memories of yesterday returned to him with redoubled intensity. All those memories he had ignored yesterday. He saw Marinette in pyjamas. He hugged Marinette in pyjamas. He practically pounced on Marinette in pyjamas. Oh, God… He was lying on her… When she was in pyjamas.

His face burned as he remembered it all. When he looked in the mirror, he could notice the face was almost purple. It seemed to start steaming if he washed it. He poured cold water over it.

How would he look Marinette in the eye today? He leaned against the washbasin and lowered his head. The water was dripping from his hair, which he had accidently wetted a moment ago.

"What's up, kid?" Plagg emerged in the bathroom after eating his morning serving plate of camembert.

"Don't even ask…" Adrien moaned.

"You've realised that Ladybug doesn't love you?" Plagg asked hoping he would manage to fix up what he had messed up yesterday.

"What?" Adrien raised his head and looked at his kwami in astonishment.

"Nothing. I'm only…" Plagg mumbled.

"It's about Marinette." Adrien confessed.

"Marinette? And what's up with Marinette?"

"Well… It seems to me that yesterday… I crossed the line of acceptable behaviour."

"It sounded like a part of a manual for pupils of school for boys a hundred years ago." Plagg winced. "I think it's getting worse with you, kid…"

"It's because…" Adrien hesitated, embarrassed and blushed again. "You won't understand…"

"I'm sure I won't! I'm not going even to try!" Plagg flew back to the room leaving Adrien alone with his teenager's problems.

Adrien looked at his face in the mirror again. He would have to face Marinette today. He would have to pretend that nothing special had happened yesterday. Yes. He had to pretend that everything was fine. That he hadn't noticed her pyjama, or that he liked her in her pyjamas.

He moaned again. He _didn't_ like it! Marinette _wasn't_ gorgeous in her pyjamas at all! She was just a friend. And he was only a friend for her. After all… If he was someone more for her, then she would run away to change clothes, wouldn't she?


	2. Adrien and his girlfriend

Adrien was completely unprepared for meeting Marinette that morning. He was still influenced by the dream he had had just before waking up. And the more he tried to forget it, the more memorable it became. He couldn't get rid of that strange feeling in his stomach when he remembered holding Marinette in his arms. It was terrible.

The car was approaching the school inevitably. Adrien felt a squeeze of the stomach, that proved of being stressed. Persuading himself that he had been affected by the dream was pointless. The image of embracing Marinette was like permanent picture in his head and it made him feel weak as if he was about to faint. He called himself to order. He must be a man!

If only he could borrow some Cat Noir's self-confidence now! Or even better – transform to Cat Noir and hide Adrien from Marinette under the mask of the superhero! He wouldn't have to face Marinette!

Wait, wait a moment… Did he just chicken out? Well, what exactly he was afraid of? Marinette? She was still his friend! She had saved him yesterday a few times. He should be grateful for her ideas, because thanks to them he was still alive and not trampled underfoot by his fans!

He took a deep breath to calm down. _Think like Cat Noir, think like Cat Noir…_ he repeated in his mind when the driver slowed down in front of the school. _You're a superhero! And Marinette is your friend. Just a friend. A gorgeous friend. No, no, no! Without the last one! Just a friend and that's the end of thinking about her!_

So, here they were. It was time to get out of the car.

Adrien took his bag and sighed.

After a while he knew that he shouldn't ask for Cat Noir's features. Because if he counted on any of them, he got the worst one – his bad luck. The first person he met in front of the school was the last one he wanted to meet. Marinette.

She was standing at foot of the stairs and looked as if she hesitated to take the first step. Did she feel the same he did?

"Hey!" he greeted in a whisper, standing just behind her.

She jumped up and turned around. For a moment it was like time stopped, and they gazed on each other.

"H-hi…" she stammered, embarrassed.

"You're wondering whether go there or not, aren't you?" he guessed.

"It will be terrible." She sighed. "Did you check the social media yesterday?"

"Well, I didn't have a chance." He muttered.

"So, you're lucky. Sometimes ignorance is a blessing." She gave him a half-smile.

"But I watched that movie yesterday!" he confessed suddenly, drowning out the strange emotions that her half-smile had woken inside of him. And why he had never seen how incredibly blue her eyes were? _No, wait! Come on… Focus, Adrien! She's just a friend!_

"Really?" she was happy for him and looked at him with sparkling eyes. "But… how did you manage?"

"Uhm…" he lost the concept. Why was she looking at him like that? Let her stop looking! "It turned out… uhm… my dad still has a DVD in his office. And we watched it together! Can you believe it?!"

"Oh, Adrien! I'm really happy for you!" she said with enthusiasm and to confirm her words she took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"Heeeey people!" someone shouted at the top of the stairs and Adrien turned his fascinated gaze away from Marinette. "Adrien and his girlfriend have come to school!"

"Oh, God…" Marinette whispered in horror, and immediately let go of Adrien's hand. At least she tried to let it go, but Adrien was still holding her hand. Unconsciously, because it would be wiser to pretend that nothing had happened yesterday and there was nothing between them. No, wait. They didn't have to pretend that. There _really_ was nothing between them except friendship!

"Let's go." He said calmly although inside of him there was a cocktail of emotions. "Let's get it over with."

It was terrible.

It was worse than the worst nightmares.

They were walking through the middle of the school courtyard – still holding hands – as if it was a kind of walk of shame. Everyone was staring at them, and both Adrien and Marinette were aware of a huge misunderstanding. It was so terribly unfair! Experience this humiliation resulting from everyone else's attention, having nothing in return – nothing of what was a part of every happy relationship!

"Oh, God… It's just like in those dreams when you're in a public place completely naked and everyone is staring at you…" Marinette muttered, and Adrien closed his eyes. Why did she say such things?! Weren't her pyjamas enough?

"Uhm…" he murmured in response, glad that they managed to reach the opposite end of the courtyard and their walk was over.

"Do you have dreams like that at all?" she asked, unaware of what was happening in his mind.

"No." he whispered, wondering how he got this strange hoarseness in his voice.

"So, you're lucky." She sighed, and he closed his eyes again. It was better for her not to know what kind of dreams he had. Especially the latest one. "I think it depends on self-confidence." She added after a moment.

Right now, he felt completely opposite to what she had said – terribly self-conscious. He even had the feeling that without her he wouldn't manage to stay here, at school, in front of all those people. She gave him support now and she had given it even more yesterday. Especially when she found a hiding place in the fountain or suggested disguises that they could watch the movie. Damn it! He just realised that he had left her in the cinema yesterday and he didn't even apologise for that!

"What happened?" she asked, looking at him with a concern.

"I left you…" he replied before he thought what to answer.

"I don't understand. When did you leave me?"

"Yesterday. In the cinema. And I haven't apologised."

"You were kidnapped by a giant gorilla. How did you imagine apologising to me for that?" she asked with a half-smile. The same half-smile that had already made him uncomfortable today. Definitely this half-smile was too cute…

"But I should call you in the evening."

"You were watching a very important film, and with your dad! You're quite justified here. Besides, I saw you had quite a dangerous fall from Tour Montparnasse as well." She winked at him. "A lot for one day."

Probably it was the first time she was feeling so comfortable around him. She was easy-going and so charming that Adrien couldn't believe this was his Marinette. No, _not his_! Just: Marinette!

"Yeah, that fall… I was fortunate that Ladybug caught me at the last moment. She saved my life. I could wind up like…" he hesitated, he almost blurted out 'like a gooey pile of camembert.'

"Like a pancake." She finished for him. "You were lucky that giant gorilla let m… her go just in time."

They looked at each other carefully, as if they both thought about the same – why Gorizilla released Ladybug so that she could save Adrien?


	3. Shipping

"As I can see you survived it." Alya said, joining Adrien and Marinette.

"Hi, Alya!" they greeted her at once and all the three laughed.

"Your harmony is very suspicious." Alya commented. "If I didn't know what exactly happened yesterday, I would think that those rumours are true."

As for the command, they both blushed. Did Alya do it on purpose?

"Stop shipping…" Marinette murmured indistinctly.

"Shipping?" Adrien spotted.

"Yeah, shipping." Marinette repeated, a bit embarrassed. "Matching people. Into pairs. Alya is a shipping freak."

"Unsuccessful shipping freak." Alya corrected her friend.

"I told you that you shouldn't have started with a lost cause." Marinette muttered.

"You're right. Ladybug and Cat Noir was a mistake."

"Why?" Adrien asked suddenly interested.

"Oh, come on! It's so obvious that Cat Noir is attracted to you, Marinette. And Ladybug is attracted to Adrien." Alya rolled her eyes.

"_What?!_" they both exclaimed, flushed terribly.

"Like kids…" Alya sighed and took a deep breath before explaining: "Remember, Marinette your last birthday. How much did Cat Noir risk to save you from your grandma? Or, when he had protected you on your date with Nathaniel!"

"Evillustrator…" Marinette whispered automatically.

"Whatever…" Alya shrugged. "And Ladybug… Come on! Remember Adrien's fall! How she caught him! I had chills. You didn't?" suddenly she restrained herself and added quickly: "Sorry…"

If it was possible to burn out of shame, there would be two piles of ash in front of Alya. Adrien was trying to absorb information – especially that about his affection to Marinette. Did it really look like that from the side? As if he… was attracted to her? And that news about Ladybug's crush on him? Yesterday, Plagg had said practically the same before he began withdrawing from all he had said.

"You're so lucky…" Alya tried to ease tension. "Two of our superheroes are attracted to you. I wish a superhero fell in love with me."

"I'll pretend I haven't heard that." Nino just joined their group and heard Alya's confession.

Alya blushed, but turned it into a joke by saying:

"I could talk about _you_!"

"First I need to get that little thing… What it's called? Miraculous, or something like that…"

"You don't need miraculous to be super." Alya denied.

"Nice try." Nino muttered, embracing his girlfriend. "But it won't be so easy, Alya."

"How long will this punishment last?"

"It depends on your guilt." Nino muttered in her ear.

"Don't you have a feeling that we're the fifth wheel here?" Adrien whispered to Marinette, and she jumped up, just like minutes ago when he had surprised her in front of school.

"Wait a sec." Nino stopped flirting with his girlfriend and turned to his best friend: "So, are you a couple or not?"

"They're not." Alya answered before Adrien managed to open his mouth.

"I don't get it in that case." Nino shrugged.

"It's not the first time when virtual fiction is ahead of the real life." Adrien said. And when he heard Alya and Marinette's gasps he realised what he had just said. He blushed to the roots of his hair and added quickly: "I mean… I wanted to say…"

At that moment the school bell rang. Adrien couldn't decide if it was his salvation or rather troubles because he had no chance to correct his blunder – even though he had no idea how he could explain that. When he heard Alya whispering "Freudian mistake" to Nino, he was sure that the bell caused troubles. Why he said such a stupid thing in front of his friends?


	4. Homework

"I have no idea how to work it out…" Marinette sighed looking at Adrien helplessly.

It was Saturday afternoon and they were sitting in Marinette's room, trying to deal with the task given to them by Miss Bustier. Yesterday the teacher had presented a project of staging in front of the class by pairs and then she assigned each two to a famous drama. Adrien and Marinette got "Romeo and Juliet" that provoked general hilarity among their colleagues. Well, maybe except Chloe who snorted with irritation. She was angry not only because of Adrien and Marinette's relationship (at least in social media), but also because she got Nathaniel Kurtzberg as her pair. And everyone knew that she hated him. Probably mutually.

"We should choose a scene, I think." Adrien muttered.

He didn't feel comfortable here. It was so… intimately. He was surrounded by Marinette's belongings, by her clothes, by her… fragrance… It had been three days since that dream and Adrien began to be out of his senses, because suddenly he discovered that Marinette totally turned his head. In addition, she'd done nothing in this matter – no encouragement, no signals. On the contrary, she behaved completely at ease, as if that day spent together made her comfortable with him.

"I suppose everyone will be expecting the balcony scene." Marinette shrugged. "I think it's the most famous scene from that drama."

"I can see you're not convinced to that scene." Adrien smiled bravely, overcoming his embarrassment.

"It's not I don't like it. It's rather… Don't get me wrong… It is _highly impossible_ that I'll tell you that I love you in front of the class." She whispered blushing. "As Juliet, of course!" she added quickly.

He flushed as well. Although it had been three days, they didn't refer to his blunder called by Alya a "Freudian mistake". Now, Adrien knew she had been right. At first, he was afraid that Marinette would begin talking about that. But when she didn't, he wasn't sure if she ignored this because she didn't care about what his words could mean, or maybe she was giving him time to explain them by himself.

"Are you hungry, kids?" Marinette's mom showed up in the trapdoor. "It isn't going well, is it?"

"Maybe we're too tired, mom…" Marinette replied and came to her mom to take a plate with pastries.

"I'm sure you'll succeed, darling. Eat something, recharge batteries and go to work!"

"Thanks, mom."

"Thank you, Mrs. Cheng" Adrien added.

Marinette took the plate and turned back to Adrien slowly. She'd got an idea.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else." She suggested. "I know we're not going to act out the balcony scene, but you know… I have a balcony here. Upstairs. Maybe we should catch some fresh air and that will help us to find the idea how to work it out?"

"A balcony?" he repeated embarrassed. Of course, she had a balcony here! He had been there a few times already. As Cat Noir, of course.

"Come on!" She came closer and took his hand.

Adrien's blood began to throb at his temples. They went upstairs to a mezzanine. Adrien tried not to see her bed… nor her pyjamas folded on it. Bloody pyjamas! He was almost obsessed with it for last three days and he had already started to believe that all memories faded, and now all of them came back alive! _Don't look there, don't look there, don't look there!_ But where should he look if she was climbing a ladder in front of him?!

Wait, wait a moment! Did she have a cat-shaped pillow?! He glances quickly over his shoulder. Yep, she had. He felt hot flush.

Finally, they got out. Adrien inhaled the fresh air, if the air in the middle of the city could be called "fresh". But Marinette had so many flowers on her balcony that he could forget they were in the centre of Paris. When he closed his eyes, he could imagine he was in a beautiful garden far from the city centre.

"Isn't it much better now?" Marinette asked quietly, looking at him with curiosity.

"Yes." He whispered, smiling at her.

"Sit down, please." She showed him a wooden box covered with pillows that was used as a bench. "And try some pastries. My parents are masters in that."

"I'm glad Nathalie and my dad don't see it. They would probably forbid me from trying any."

"In that case, it's good they are not here. I can't eat all of that myself, otherwise I'll be too fat to wear my usual clothes. And I'll have to wear my pyjamas again." She joked, and he blushed immediately.


	5. The pyjama

When Marinette sat down next to Adrien on the bench, his blush deepened, but she didn't notice that, because she was lost in her own thoughts. For a moment Adrien wondered what she could be thinking about, but when she spoke, everything became clear to him – it was the same thing he'd been thinking about – That Day.

"I can't believe that I spent half a day with you and being dressed in pyjamas!" She whispered.

"Now, it's a very famous pyjama." He mumbled.

"Yeah!" she laughed, and the tension suddenly disappeared.

"You can now design the entire line of pyjamas!" he suggested. "You've created a new trend in fashion."

"I think they'll be sold out very quickly." Marinette laughed. "You have no idea how many people want to add me to their friends on social media now!"

"You have your five minutes."

"You have to be joking!" She looked at him seriously. "It's terrible!"

"Terrible?"

"They want to know me, because _I know you_. Or rather, I'm your girlfriend. I mean… virtually, of course!"

She blushed and looked away. But this time Adrien didn't want to object, correct or apologise to her. All in all… he wouldn't mind if Marinette _was_ his girlfriend. Actually, he would be very happy if she was.

"Of course, there were some degenerates as well." Marinette added after a moment.

"What?!" Adrien exclaimed and jumped up from the bench.

"You know… Some guys with some gross comments." She explained embarrassed.

Adrien swore to himself that he would never, ever tell her what he started thinking about her because of her pyjamas. And shyly sat back next to her.

"Why do you assume they are degenerates?" he asked quietly, again with this strange hoarseness in his voice. "Maybe they just liked you?"

"You'll change your mind when you see their comments. I'll show you. They're gross." She murmured and reached for her phone.

"No." he replied, grabbing her hand.

He didn't want to see those comments. He didn't want to know what other boys wrote or thought about her. Were they worse than him? What would she think about him if she knew what _he_ was thinking about, what _he_ felt?

She stared at him in amazement. When they had sat so close next to each other that she could see all the green flashes in his eyes? They both stopped breathing for a moment.

"I'll think about it." She whispered.

"About what?" he asked.

"About the pyjamas line." She clarified. "I'll call them pyjama outfit."

"Good name. You should add the family name."

"Can I add yours?"

"Why… Why mine?" he stammered. Well… Maybe in the future… No, no! He shook off those silly thoughts!

"It was your idea." She explained, and then she realised how it could be interpreted. She blushed to the roots of hair. "Or… better not."

"What: better not?" he asked, wondering what had caused her blush.

"Maybe I should add mine. With yours all social media will go crazy. All of those people will start thinking I married you or something…"

"You're terribly concerned with social media." He noted.

"I'm just not used to attract so much attention." She whispered. "It overwhelmed me. How do you handle this?"

"I just ignore that." He replied. "Maybe there was a moment that I googled my name. Don't laugh!" he added quickly when she began to giggle. "What can I say? Yes, popularity rushed to my head for a moment, just at the beginning. But soon it started to bother me a bit. You know… Not everyone liked me. There were some comments that really hurt me. It took me some time to understand that people can be cruel when they are jealous or frustrated. I can't please everyone, so I stopped worrying about it."

"It's easy for you to say that. Your situation is different. You'll always be Adrien Agreste. Me… I'm popular now, because in all those media opinion I'm your girlfriend. In the end, the truth will come out and I'll be ex-girlfriend of a famous boy."

"No, Marinette." He took her hand and looked at her eyes seriously. "You'll be yourself. Anyway, it's quite possible that rather I'll be ex-boyfriend of a very well-known designer."

"Of the pyjamas outfit line." She added bursting out laughing.

Yet she didn't take her hand away.

And they were sitting and staring at each other with hands clasped on the bench, when Marinette's phone rang. Was it only his impression, or she sighed with irritation? Or maybe it was only his wishful thinking?

"What's up, Alya?" Marinette asked. "… No, we haven't chosen yet. And you? … Alya, maybe you should focus on the task, will you?" Marinette rolled her eyes and winked at Adrien. He laughed in response. "… OK, I'll let you know. Bye. Say hello to Nino. … Yeah. Bye."

She hung up.

"They haven't even started yet." She summed up. "So, we're not the worst."

"We can pick the scene with dying." Adrien suggested suddenly.

"I don't know if I can stand lying unblinking when I have to listen to someone's snorts from the first row." Marinette muttered and Adrien laughed. "And besides, I don't think Miss Bustier would appreciate lying down as a very demanding role."

"If you stay unblinking despite Chloe's snorts, you'll get a special reward!" he joked. "You can always prepare something extra for the second part of the scene, when you're in despair after my death."

"Yeah… Are you going to die in a spectacular way? Because I don't know if I'm going to stain with your ketchup blood…"

"It depends on how much you're going to throw yourself at me." He joked and immediately flushed. He crossed the line again!

"I can moderately, if you prefer." She replied cautiously, not sure how to interpret his blush. Or the proposition.

"Let's think about props then." He changed the subject.

"Knowing my clumsiness, I can really stab myself with a dagger."

"So, a dagger is out of question." He decided. Marinette laughed. He was so cute that she wanted to ruffle his hair. "I suggest a vial with a red liquid. It will be useful later for special effects. The costumes…"

"Don't worry about them. I'll find something…"

"Right… I forgot who I'm working with!"

"But there's so little time till next Wednesday… We still have to rehearse the text."

"Do you have time on Monday?" Adrien suggested quickly. "This time at my place?"

"Deal." Marinette agreed. "And now, I'm begging you, eat at least one croissant!"

"But only one and in great secrecy." He winked at her and reached for a croissant.

It was a great day!


	6. The patrol

Adrien came back home full of emotions so strong that he felt like he was drunk a little.

"I'd like to remind you that today it's Saturday." Plagg muttered wryly.

"Yeah… Saturday…" Adrien repeated unconsciously.

"You have your weekly patrol with Ladybug. Like on every other Saturday."

"Oh, right…" the boy sighed, but did nothing to go out for the patrol.

"I remind you that these patrols were _your_ idea."

"I know, I know… They were to be occasions to spend some time with Ladybug. Like on a date… Now it doesn't matter anymore."

"What do you mean: doesn't matter anymore?!"

"I need to talk to Marinette."

"Now?!"

"Of course, not now, Plagg! I've just spent half a day with her. If I went there now, she would think I'm a psycho or…"

"Degenerate…" Plagg finished the sentence with a grin.

"Yeah…" Adrien sighed. "But I need to talk to her soon. I must tell her what I feel to her."

"Adrien, focus on tonight maybe? Start planning your happy future after the patrol, OK?"

"You're right, Plagg. Claws out!"

o o o

Ladybug was already waiting for him on the rooftop of the Notre Dame Cathedral. She looked a bit concerned, so something was bothering her.

"Good evening, My Lady!" Cat Noir greeted with a courteous smile.

"Good evening, Cat. How are you?"

"Generally? Fantastic. But you looked worried. What happened?"

"I keep thinking about that Gorizilla case. Why did he release me?" she confessed.

Right. It had been bothering him as well. He tried to find any logical reasons of letting Ladybug go but didn't manage.

"Maybe you used your superpowers?" he asked, but he knew it was pointless.

"I was already after my 'lucky charm', Cat. I know it wasn't a result of my fight or jostling. No. He just released me. As if he wanted me to save Adrien."

"Weird. He had kidnapped m… him, so why would he want to save him later?"

"Exactly." She murmured and got lost in her thoughts, ignoring his stumble. "Uhm… Cat?" She continued after a while.

"What's up, My Lady?"

"Do you remember what I told you that day when we were fighting against Collector?"

He remembered that day when his father had become the victim of the akuma after that awful argument about the book of superheroes.

"I remember." He whispered.

"And… do you remember what I told you about…" she hesitated. "… who Hawkmoth could be?"

Yes. He remembered. He nodded because suddenly his voice let him down. He remembered another thing – four days ago, before they had watched the movie, his father had told him that they had to trust to each other. Because if not, he could _start imagining all kinds of things_. When father was talking about the trust, he was looking at Adrien's hand, at the ring, actually…

But Cat Noir couldn't tell Ladybug anything of that. That would reveal his identity, and that was forbidden.

"It's the only explanation that seems to be logical and possible." Ladybug sighed. "I haven't got any other conclusions. But… Maybe I'm just suggested by my own suspicions… What do you think, Cat?"

He had to say something! But how to deal with that terrible awareness that his own father had been terrorising Paris for so long to get the absolute power? Why did he need it?

Five minutes ago, Adrien had been just a normal teenager with typical love problems and the fear of confessing to a girl that he liked her very much. Now… Now all his life stopped being normal.

And he couldn't share most of his thought with Ladybug because they concerned him as Adrien – that was the worst. He needed to talk to someone, to a friend. To talk about the discovery that his father wanted to figure out if his son was Cat Noir – in the most cruel and perfidious way. If father knew Adrien a little better, he would know that his son would never reveal his superhero identity, because he would blindly rely on Ladybug.

But that also meant that his father loved him, since he released Ladybug to save Adrien instead of taking her miraculous.

Oh, so many emotions! His heart couldn't take it anymore! He had to talk to someone about it!


	7. It's a trap!

"Cat? Are you OK?" Ladybug asked quietly.

"Uhm… Yeah…"

"You seem to be… a little upset." She looked at him carefully.

"Let's find out if that's true." He decided suddenly.

"How do you want to do it?"

"We can start with having a look at Gabriel Agreste's house."

"I don't know that house very well. If we had plans of it, that would be helpful. Maybe we can ask Adrien to help us?" Ladybug was wondering aloud, completely ignoring the subsequent expressions of Cat Noir's face.

"I doubt that these plans would be so easily accessible." Cat Noir muttered in response.

"That's why I said to ask Adrien for help."

"Do you really think he can get anything out of his father's office? There's a monitoring everywhere!"

"How do you know that?"

"Er… We have been there already, remember?"

"Well… Sure… But I didn't pay too much attention to the monitoring."

"Never mind. Let's have a look at the house, OK? If we're lucky, maybe he'll send an akuma?"

"I wouldn't count on so much luck…" Ladybug murmured.

After a while they were there. All windows of the Agreste mansion were dark. One of them was open.

"Oh, look! Adrien's window is open." Ladybug noted.

Cat Noir sighed. Of course, it was open. As always when he left the house as the superhero.

"Maybe he needs fresh air…" he murmured.

Ladybug glanced at him amused, as if she knew exactly that Adrien had had a lot of fresh air on Marinette's balcony today.

"Maybe…" she muttered in response. "Well, let's visit him."

When they entered Adrien's room, no one was there. Cat Noir did his best to pretend to be surprised.

"And what now?" Ladybug seemed to be helpless, which was something new.

"Let's find Gabriel Agreste's office." Cat Noir suggested.

"Do you have any idea where it can be?" she asked him.

Of course, he knew perfectly where it was. But he couldn't tell her that.

"Let's try to remember all details from our previous visits here. We have been there, right?" He suggested shyly.

Ladybug gazed on him with appreciation. A week ago, that would put him in euphoria…

They focused on the task and after a while they discovered the right direction. Minutes later they were standing at the open window of Gabriel Agreste's office. They slipped inside.

The room was empty.

On the opposite wall there was a huge image of Mrs. Agreste. It was highlighted which made an extra impression in the surrounding semi-darkness. It looked as if it was an altar. They approached the painting with admiration, suddenly intimidated.

"Cat! Look!" Ladybug whispered and glanced at her partner, but he stood quiet staring into Emilie Agreste's eyes as if he hadn't heard Ladybug at all. "Cat?"

"What?" he muttered and turned his sight away from his mom.

"Look at this…" she pointed at Emilie Agreste's dress. "These look like finger marks…"

"You're right…" he came closer to the painting.

Before he thought about the consequences, he put his fingers on the marks.

"I don't like that…" Ladybug whispered. "It's too easy…"

Suddenly a red light flashed.

"It's a trap!" Ladybug shouted warningly, but it was too late.

They lost the ground under their feet. Ladybug hugged Cat Noir at the last moment and they slipped down like on a big black slide. Down, down… and suddenly… Completely without a warning, they both detransformed.

Marinette looked in horror at her hands uncovering from Ladybug's costume. She could see sideways that Cat Noir's ears were disappearing too. Now she was hugging someone, who seemed to be very familiar to her.

They reached the bottom. Wherever they were, it had a bottom. They stayed silent. Cat Noir – now in his civilian self – embraced her closely as if he didn't want to know her identity. But they needed to cooperate somehow to get out of there!

"Tikki?" Marinette whispered, but kwami wasn't around. "Tikki?!" she repeated in panic.

"I wouldn't count on that." A cold voice replied.


	8. As important as your mother

They moved back from each other at the sound of that voice next to them. Marinette looked around. They were in a dark room with a huge rose window – the only source of the light. White butterflies were flying around, and in the middle of them there was Hawkmoth leaning on his cane.

He watched them with interest and a little surprise.

"All by the numbers…" he commented with satisfaction.

They looked at each other and at that moment both ran out of breath.

"Ma… Marinette?" Adrien whispered in shock.

"Oh my God…" Marinette sighed and then tears filled her eyes.

"I'm so sorry I got us into that."

"And I'm sorry I was talking those things about your father."

"Don't be. You were right." He muttered.

"Oh, Cat…" she whispered and touched his cheek. He closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry…"

He stared at her eyes. He had to get her out of there! He took her hand. Marinette felt confused a little. She had already seen these green flashes in his eyes, and she had a feeling of something special in his sight. But she couldn't find the answer what that could mean. Or rather she didn't want to believe in the obvious one?

She shook off the amazement. She remembered where they were. Trapped.

"Where are our kwamis?" she asked coldly, turning to Hawkmoth.

"Let's assume they are somewhere safe." Hawkmoth smiled slyly. "Until I need them…"

"But… how did you catch them?"

"I like design different things. If something absorbs me very much, well… I can be _very creative_…"

"But how?" Adrien asked quietly. He felt chills hearing that voice.

"Oh, I'm really proud of this invention. In the tunnel, which you politely chose to come here, I installed a hoop made of a special material that I had found with miraculouses and the spell book. I discovered one day that this material catches kwami even against the will of their holders. I think it was the material used in the guardians' temple to control kwamis and their holders. Well… I tested it on myself, of course. Poor Nooroo… Well…"

Those his "wells" were sinister and terribly cold-hearted.

"You're evil!" Marinette exclaimed.

"Am I? Do you really think, that I'll worry about this charge, Ladybug?"

"If you had any human feelings left, you would…"

"I have a lot of human feelings. If you think about it, you could say that all I've done…" he hesitated. "I did because of love…"

"What?" they exclaimed, both astonished.

"Dark wings fall!"

After a while there was Gabriel Agreste in front of them.

"Father?"

"Don't be so surprised! You expected me here."

"Nevertheless…" Adrien sighed embarrassed. "Why?"

"It won't hurt, son. All I have to do is to make a wish. That's all. Then I'll give you back your miraculous and we'll all live happily ever after."

"No, we won't." Marinette replied firmly. "Your wish will have a price."

"A price?" Gabriel repeated.

"Yes. The universe needs a balance." Marinette explained and Adrien gazed on her with appreciation. "When you wish something to get, you'll lose something equally important to you."

"Well…" Gabriel thought deeply. "To be so close… I can finally get my wife back. Our family can be together again, Adrien."

"Don't you get it, father? Ladyb… Marinette told you that you have to pay for your wish! To keep the balance. If you bring mom back, you'll lose…" he couldn't finish the sentence.

Gabriel looked at him with concern but soon he smiled slyly.

"So, maybe _you_ will make a wish, son?"

"What?" Adrien was surprised. Father would give him both miraculous and let him make a wish?

"We'll get known _who_ is as important to you as your mother…" Gabriel added in a threatening whisper.

Adrien's heart stopped. Was his father suggesting…? Did he know…?

"I'd rather die." Adrien replied.

"No!" Marinette exclaimed and took his hand.

"I won't let him do that!" Adrien said. "He knows."

"Knows what?"

"Who is so important to me." He whispered, looking in her eyes. "Who will be the price of my wish."

Marinette ran out of breath. She understood what Adrien wanted to tell her. It was so unfair and so cruel that he confessed his feelings in front of his father, just before one of them was to die.

"How touching…" Gabriel Agreste drawled. "Well, son? Have you made a decision?"

Adrien embraced Marinette tightly. He touched her cheek. It crossed his mind that maybe if he hadn't been so blind, it would be something inherent in his life. Would he get used to it or maybe he would never have enough? He would never know that now.

He leaned and kissed her, ignoring his father's meaningful grunting. If he was to die, he'd rather die happy.

He reluctantly let her out of his embrace and stepped back quickly before she could react. She looked at him with dreamy eyes, and moments later she touched her ears. She looked at him in horror. He took her earrings! He took them off when he was kissing her!

"Don't you dare do this! Don't give him my earrings!" She shouted at Adrien and moved towards him.

But it was too late. Miraculouses of Ladybug and Cat Noir landed in Hawkmoth's hands.


	9. You stupid Cat!

"You damn stupid Cat!" Marinette shouted, pummelling Adrien's chest.

He was completely unresponsive. It would be over soon. Father got what he wanted. He wouldn't hurt anyone more. Except his son, of course. After all, he, Adrien was to be the price for the return of his mother.

"I'm sorry, Marinette." Adrien finally said. "I couldn't lose you."

"But I can lose _you_, right?!" she said angrily and then she started crying.

He hugged her tightly. Perhaps for the last five minutes of his life. Let it last as long as possible.

"You know, Marinette… I wish I realised sooner what I feel." Adrien whispered.

"I wish that too…" she muttered.

"Better late than too late, huh?"

"Silly Kitty… Even at the end you can't resist?"

"I love you." He confessed as if he wanted these words were the last, he would say.

"I love you too, Adrien." She replied as if she wanted these words to be the last, he would hear.

And then he kissed her – for the last time.

Suddenly they felt a gust that swept them along loosening their hug. Marinette cried Adrien's name, but her voice vanished in the roar of the whirlwind. She reached for him hopelessly, but they were parted. So that was the end? It was so unfair!

They looked at each other terrified, and at that moment Adrien realised that if they saw each other for the last time, he didn't want to be remembered as a scared kid who had been caught by a small tornado. No. She was supposed to remember him as a smiled boyfriend in love with her.

He smiled bravely and winked at her. And she – though surprised at first – laughed and rolled her eyes. All her – all Ladybug!

And suddenly everything fell silent. They hit the ground with a clatter. Adrien was surprised that he felt anything. If he died, he shouldn't feel pain, right?

"Adrien? Son? Is that you?" he suddenly heard a voice that he hadn't hear for so long and which he missed so much!

Mom? But how?

He looked around, dismayed.

His mother stood next to him – as confused as he was.

Marinette slowly stood up against the wall, trying to massage her hip. She took a quick glance at the Hawkmoth shelter. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Adrien and his mother standing face to face. He was alive! He survived! She felt the urgent need to embrace him. But no. Now he should spend some time with his mom.

Wait. Something was missing.

She looked at the opposite corner. Was this only a wishful thinking? Was it possible that there was… Gabriel Agreste? She approached him quietly, trying not to interrupt Adrien's talk to his mom.


	10. No more evildoing to you

Gabriel lay in a twisted position. Three kwamis were flying over his body: Tikki, Plagg and a lilac kwami that Marinette hadn't known yet. Tikki immediately flew to Marinette and cuddled up to her cheek. The new kwami appeared at the other cheek. The girl guessed this little creature must be related to the Butterfly miraculous.

"Thank you." Nooroo whispered.

"You're welcome. But you should thank Adrien. I haven't done anything. He fixed it. I think… I'm not sure… I really don't understand what happened here."

"Gabriel combined miraculous of Ladybug and Cat Noir. And then he made a wish that Adrien's mom would come back."

"Well, I've figured out it by myself." Marinette replied. "But… why did it happen that happened? I mean… Adrien was to be a price…"

Tikki giggled. In the current situation it was very inappropriate. Marinette looked at her in disapproval, frowning.

"Oh, Marinette. Don't you get it?" Tikki asked.

"Explain, please." Adrien joined in the conversation, embracing Marinette in the waist.

Meanwhile his mother knelt next to his father's body. She touched Gabriel's face uncertainly, as if she expected him to wake up and get up. But Gabriel didn't move, and Emilie burst into tears.

"Your father asked for bringing your mother back, Adrien." Tikki explained. "He accidentally chose himself as the price of his wish. If he asked for return of his beloved person, he would probably lose another person he loved the most, that means you. But he unintentionally placed you as the point of reference, as the centre of the balance."

"Oh…" it was everything that Adrien could say as a comment.

"So, you'll still miss one of your parents." Marinette suddenly understood. "But… Why? Why did he mistake so much?"

"Do you blame him?" Adrien asked glancing at her. Marinette smiled with that half-smile that he had called too cute some time ago. Now it was perfectly cute.

"I'm not sure yet." She answered back. "I want to understand."

"I don't know all the answers." Tikki said. "I can only guess… I suppose he was suggested by the talk with you before he made a wish. Maybe he still remembered how he had tried to convince you to make a wish instead and just slipped out the same wish you would literally say? We'll never know…"

"I don't understand anything of what you're saying." Adrien's mom whispered, getting up.

"We'll explain you everything, mom. One thing at the time." Adrien promised.

"But maybe not _here_, OK?" Marinette suggested shyly.

Adrien hugged her closer and smiled.

"Before we go. Mom, I'd like to introduce someone to you."

"Adrien, no! It's not a good time for that…" Marinette muttered, reluctantly letting him guide herself to his mother.

"Mom, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, my girlfriend. And this is… my mom." He whispered solemnly, looking at his mother with happy eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Marinette." Emilie shook Marinette's hand. "I'm very happy that my son has found someone who he cares about and who cares about him."

Marinette smiled embarrassed. How to explain Emilie Agreste that half an hour ago, she had had no idea that she was someone special to her son? Or rather, she didn't have a certainty…

"You'll pay for that!" Marinette whispered to Adrien after a while, as they headed for the exit.

"I assumed that if we're going to have a serious talk with my mom, that would be better to introduce my girlfriend to her." Adrien answered with Cat Noir's grin.

"I don't remember when we've decided that I'm your girlfriend."

"We had no time for this. I was busy with dying."

"But you haven't died."

"You're disappointed?"

"I'll leave this stupid question without an answer."

"I love you, Marinette." He smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "You're adorable when you're irritating. You're irritating very Ladybug-like."

"Because you're irritating me very Cat-Noir-like." She replied, but it was obvious she melted after what he had just said.

"Get used to it. This Cat is a part of me."

"Yeah, I know that." She sighed.

"You'll get used to it. You have the whole future for that."

"The whole future? You're going to take my whole future?"

"No, Marinette. I'm going to _give_ you mine." He smiled and kissed her.

And this time he knew it wasn't their last kiss. And he knew that now, when he had found this wonderful girl, when he discovered his feelings for her, he would never let her go.

Suddenly their kiss was interrupted by Tikki:

"Marinette, the miraculouses!"

The girl immediately turned back and took the earrings and the ring from the floor.

"Nooroo is also coming with us." Tikki reminded her, but Marinette hesitated.

"I'll do it." Emilie Agreste said. She approached her husband's body and took a butterfly brooch.

"No more evildoing to you…" Marinette whispered a part of the spell she used to catch akumas with.

And then they left the Hawkmoth's liar. For ever.


	11. A pinch of love

Emilie Agreste stopped in the hall and looked around carefully. She noticed a great portrait of her husband and her son. It must have been painted after her disappearance. She sighed sadly and glanced over her shoulder at her son. At least he was happy. Ever since they left the Hawkmoth's liar, Adrien didn't let his cute girlfriend out of his embrace. Emilie smiled slightly. One of her dreams came true – her son was in love with someone who loved him too.

"I'm… hungry?" Emilie said surprised a little, as if she had forgotten about such ordinary needs like eating.

Adrien immediately stopped whispering with Marinette and looked at his mother concerned.

"We can go to the dining room and ask for a dinner, mom." He replied.

Marinette glanced at him. She liked the soft note in his voice when he said the word "mom". She wanted to kiss him again. Okay… She wanted to kiss him all the time. But after something like that, it was particularly difficult to control herself.

"I've never liked that dining room." Emilie confessed. "Let's eat in the kitchen."

"In the kitchen?" Adrien was surprised.

"No! Not _this one_!" she laughed, guessing that her son thought about their main kitchen, where professional chefs – chosen by Gabriel, of course – were busy with cooking for the Agreste family. "I mean rather our small kitchen upstairs. Is it still working?"

"Rather, it's covered with dust." Adrien murmured.

When his mother disappeared, that kitchen was forbidden for Adrien. Too many memories of his mom were related to that room.

"Your father would never let anything in this house to be covered with dust." Emilie quipped. Marinette looked at her in astonishment. How it had happened that this woman loved such a man like Gabriel Agreste?

They went upstairs. Indeed, there was a kitchen right next to Adrien's room, but Marinette wouldn't call it "small". In fact, it was bigger than they had at home. But if Emilie Agreste called it a small kitchen, then let it be. Marinette didn't even try to imagine their main kitchen!

After a while, they settled down comfortably at a small table. In front of all of them there were three mugs with hot chocolate made by Marinette. Adrien had tried to pry about her technique, but she referred to Dupain-Cheng family secrecy and sent him away before he knew the secrets of preparing the perfect chocolate.

"Can you explain all those things now?" Emilie asked quietly and took a sip of the chocolate. She sent amazed look to Marinette. "It's delicious. I haven't drunk such perfect chocolate in my life!"

Adrien smiled, and sparkles emerged in his eyes. He glanced at Marinette. She was sitting flushed and embarrassed as if she didn't expect a praise. She looked so adorable, that he barely kept his seat. They couldn't snuggle all the time, especially in front of his mother. Until now they weren't so concerned about his mom's presence. Too much had happened in the last hour, too much relief they felt, too many feelings vented and found reciprocity – too much to be concerned about someone's presence. Even if it was his dear mother who he'd been missing for so long.

But now, when the emotions, related to defeating Hawkmoth and to getting mother back, had subsided Adrien felt somewhat uncomfortable with her presence. Not enough to not sit next to Marinette and to hold her hand. But certainly enough to not allow himself to do anything more. At least for now.

Emilie smiled slightly and both kids blushed. Marinette even made a move, as if she wanted to hide her hand, but Adrien didn't let her do it. He had just sacrificed his life for her. They had just confessed their feelings – there was nothing to be ashamed of. The more, there was his mother sitting on the other side of the table – the person most well-wishing to him in all his life.

"I have no idea what you added to this chocolate, but I've already felt much better." Adrien's mom whispered.

"It's chocolate." Marinette smiled. "It helps by definition."

Emilie stared at the girl's smile. With every moment she understood better and better why her son lost his head for her. Because it was obvious that he had completely lost his head for her. It was enough to watch carefully how he looked at Marinette, how he hugged her, how he held her hand.

"So, why didn't you let me see how you prepared it?" Adrien asked, winking at Marinette.

"I told you it was a family secret, and your surname is neither Dupain nor Cheng."

"I would say that everything's kept in the family." He winked at her and she blushed immediately in response. He grinned and added: "Come on, share your secret!"

"But it's silly…" she whispered embarrassed. "It's a kind of magic spell…"

"Considering that none of us believes in magic or spells…" he joked, so he earned a nudge.

"What's the spell?" Emilie asked quietly, and kids became serious.

"Uhm…" Marinette stuttered. "My parents and I… We usually say that we add… uhm… a pinch of love." She blushed to the roots of her hair.

"No wonder that it's so delicious then." Adrien's mom whispered, dropping her gaze into a mug of chocolate to give the kids a hint of privacy – at least in this way. Yet, she managed to see how her son looked at his girlfriend. And she thought it was so fortunate that Adrien was able to feel and to express his feelings.

"You must have added quite a considerable pinch." Adrien whispered in Marinette's ear.

"The quantity doesn't matter, only the quality." Marinette answered back.

For a moment he wasn't sure if she was doing that on purpose or unintentionally, but she was becoming more and more adorable with every moment. Was it possible that he would be more and more in love with her?

"In that case, I'm impressed by the quality, M'Lady." He said quietly, staring into her eyes so that she stopped breathing. He leaned to kiss her, but she moved back a bit. Maybe his mother was gazing on the mug of chocolate, but she was still there. For Marinette it was too much.


	12. Call me Emilie

"It's getting late." Marinette noticed, glancing at the clock above the door.

Even if Adrien couldn't come to this kitchen for last two years, someone did, for sure. Not only to take care of cleaning or supplying the refrigerator – they must have exchanged the batteries in the clock, because it was still working. Now, it was relentlessly moving forward, showing 10 p.m. already.

Adrien sighed and moved back. He clutched her hand significantly and whispered:

"You're so Ladybug-like now…"

"It sounded like a reproach." She replied surprised.

"Focused on your task." He added to clarify.

"I've only reminded that it's getting late. We have a few things to talk about and your mother is asleep on her feet." Marinette explained.

"Don't worry about me." Emilie cut in.

"You should take a rest, Mom…" Adrien said concerned, feeling remorse that he had forgot about her for a moment.

"Soon." Emilie ignored his objections. "But first, please tell me briefly what really happened. Because I don't understand anything of what you're talking about. I remember… I remember only…" she stopped for a while and closed her eyes. "Well… Gabriel and I found an old book and two pieces of jewellery when we were traveling Asia. We took them. We had absolutely no idea what it could be. The book was sealed. And we… we broke the seal. _I_ broke the seal. After that moment I don't remember anything. I don't know where I have been for all this time. I can see it must have been a lot of time, because you've grown up, Adrien…"

"Two years…" Adrien murmured. "It's been two years, mom."

"How did it happen that your dad brought me back? Why did he die? Did he have to sacrifice himself? Was this it the little red creature said about? Where is it now? Where are the other two?" Emilie Agreste asked so many questions and each subsequent one triggered a new pursuit of thoughts in Marinette and Adrien's minds. What should they answer? They looked at each other in panic. Marinette squeezed Adrien's hand gently and turned to his mother:

"This red creature is my kwami. Her name is Tikki. Kwami is connected to miraculous, I mean the jewellery you mentioned. Well, kwami gives superpowers. I become Ladybug and Adrien becomes Cat Noir."

"And the third one?"

"Uhm…" Marinette hesitated.

"It was my father's kwami." Adrien helped her. "Your Tikki called him somehow?"

"Nooroo." Marinette remembered.

"Where are they now?" Emilie asked.

"Tikki and Plagg are sleeping in my room, mom." Adrien explained and then looked at Marinette. "They lost all their energy. And it wasn't the same as usually after using our superpowers. It was weird, don't you think, Marinette?"

"Yeah, I noticed that." She replied concerned. "It was as if that material took their abilities. It's a pity that your father didn't tell us more about this trap."

"A trap?" Emilie spotted.

Adrien and Marinette exchanged panicked looks again. Neither of them wanted to make Emilie Agreste aware of what her husband had been doing for two years just to bring her back.

"We won't find out now." Marinette murmured.

"We can ask this… Nooroo… Can't we?" Emilie offered shyly.

"Er…" Marinette felt uncomfortable again. "To make Nooroo appear, we have to take out the Butterfly brooch. I have Ladybug earrings and Adrien has Cat Noir ring. We can't combine miraculouses."

"That means that only you could…" Adrien turned to his mother.

"No!" Emilie exclaimed. "I don't want to. Please…"

Adrien and Marinette's hearts stopped beating when they saw tears in Emilie's eyes. It must be so hard for her!

"What trap you were talking about?" Adrien's mom asked again after a while.

Marinette looked at Adrien with a question in her eyes, but he shook his head. It was necessary to limit bad news to protect his mom. Marinette understood it perfectly. She nodded.

"I'll explain it very shortly. The combination of our miraculouses allows to make a wish. Every wish. But such a wish always has a price." She added quickly just in case Emilie wanted to make a wish. The obvious one.

"So, it was like you said there? Either me or Adrien's father?"

"Uhm…" Marinette hesitated. Not quite… But the truth would break Emilie's heart. She must lie. Or rather modify the truth a bit. "It turned out so. But in my opinion, we just don't know how the equilibrium of the universe is maintained. That's all." She said, and Adrien gave her a look of appreciation that she had just spared his mother all the painful details. "That's why we shouldn't play with the powers we don't understand. In my opinion, of course. I mean, I wanted to say that it didn't mean I wasn't happy that you came back, ma'am!" she added confused at the end.

"Emilie. Call me Emilie…" Adrien's mom smiled warmly at Marinette and then she rose from the chair. "I think I have enough experience for one day. Tomorrow, we'll have a lot to do with all that. I'm too weak today to deal with it now."

"I'll go with you, mom." Adrien jumped up and gave his mother a hand.

"So, I'll…" Marinette whispered, stood up as well. "I'd better go…"

"Don't go yet!" Adrien begged and looked at her with such emotions in his eyes that she sat back. "I'll be right back."

"OK, I'll wait." She nodded.


	13. M-Marinette?

When Adrien came back to the kitchen, he found Marinette sleeping on the table. She made a provisional pillow using her own arm and fell asleep on the counter. She looked so sweet and somehow vulnerable that he wanted to embrace her. And kiss. He glanced at her curiously. Was it only the fairy tales' rule that a prince could wake up a princess with a kiss? Could such things work in the real life?

He sat down next to her and leaned on his hand. He looked a bit like a child who was about to make a new experiment. He hesitated for a moment and then brushed aside a strand of her hair that slipped from her pigtail. She murmured something dreamily. He smiled.

And then he leaned and kissed her cheek.

"M-marinette?"

"Mmmm…"

"Wake up, Marinette…" he whispered.

"Mmmm…"

He laughed softly. If she was going to be more and more cute, the scale of adorability would soon be over.

"M-marinette?"

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him unconsciously. She smiled at him and Adrien had to face the fact that the scale of adorability had just reached its maximum. He kissed her gently.

"Mmmm…" she murmured again. "I like that."

"What? Waking you up?"

"That too." She blushed. "I like the way you say 'M-marinette'."

"Really?"

"Mmmm…"

"And I like your 'mmmm'…"

"Mmmm…" she murmured in reply and smiled embarrassed. That wasn't on purpose!

"I didn't want to wake you up, but tomorrow morning your neck would hurt." He said, trying not to kiss her again.

"Adrien, I can't stay here till tomorrow!" she came to her senses immediately.

"Why not?" he asked surprised and she looked at him significantly. He flushed.

"That's why." She nodded. "And besides, I don't even have my pyjama here. Just when it's needed!" she giggled.

Adrien laughed. Ah, her pyjama! In fact, thanks to her pyjama he won her heart. Not directly maybe, but it helped a lot.

"But I don't want you to leave."

"I must go, Adrien. My parents have no idea where I am. I left home as Ladybug. If my mom gets up early in the morning and hasn't found me anywhere, she'll be worried. Besides, we have to rest before tomorrow. Imagine what will be happening here! What the police will say? Your father is dead, your mom's back. There will be a lot of questions. Questions without good answers."

"You're talking like Ladybug now." Adrien smiled. "How's that possible that I haven't noticed that before?"

"Yeah…" She muttered. Weird indeed… "If I knew earlier that you had some feelings to me, probably you would notice that sooner. I didn't know that you had to be threatened with death to confess."

"Well, I noticed that you needed similar circumstances." He answered back.

"Oh, come on! These were supposed to be the last words you were to hear!" she sighed irritably. "Now I have to find something new."

"You don't have to. You can keep repeating these ones to make sure they would be the last ones I hear in my life." He grinned.

"That's a cheap shot, Adrien."

"To be honest you haven't told me that yet, unless you had a knife at your throat." He reminded her.

"My poor boy…" Marinette smiled. "I will be repeating it so often that you'll be fed up with it. Or you'll get bored. Or you'll get used to it and you'll stop paying attention."

"No, no and no. These are my answers to all your scenarios above."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"I love you, Adrien." She whispered. "Without a knife at my throat."

"I love you too, Marinette." He replied and stared at her eyes.

"I do have to go." She muttered still gazing on him.

"I know."

"So, let me go."

"But I'm not holding you."

She rolled her eyes. He laughed and finally caught the hint. Then he embraced her and kissed her goodnight.


	14. The Guardian of Miraculouses

"I have to wake Tikki up." Marinette whispered looking at sleeping kwamis.

"That was the first time when I saw something had exhausted Plagg."

"I have no idea how that mysterious material works, but it took all energy from them. Thankfully Tikki was strong enough to explain us as much as she could."

She was so moved watching two little creatures sleeping and holding their paws together. Adrien stood just behind her, put his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I've always wanted to do this." He murmured.

"What exactly?"

"This is what I imagine parents usually do when their children are sleeping."

"Adrien, rather _we_ are children here. They are older and smarter than us."

"Oh, Marinette… Can you stop being so Ladybug-like for a moment?"

"What?"

"You keep your feet on the ground all the time. Can't you just join me and dream a bit?"

"About?" she smiled, glancing at him sideways.

"I don't know… Let's say about our future house, a hamster and three beautiful children…"

"Louis, Emma and Hugo…" she whispered unwittingly.

Adrien chuckled.

"You have already chosen names for our children?"

"A while ago… yes… I did." She stuttered embarrassed.

"I like them." He replied, kissing her cheek.

Marinette smiled. She still couldn't believe that everything ended so well. At least as well as possibly could. She was wondering how Adrien dealt with all those emotions – he had lost his father, got his mother back and now he had to hide the truth from her. The truth about what his father had done to bring his wife back.

"It's terrible." Marinette sighed.

"What's terrible?" he looked at her surprised.

"I shouldn't be so glad that it happened like this." She confessed, and he hugged her tight.

"I feel that way too." He muttered. "Unbelievably happy, and yet I should be rather sad."

"Unbelievably happy?" she repeated.

"Of course. You don't?"

"I think I do." She hesitated, not sure how to express all her feelings.

"You _think_?" he looked at her concerned. "This isn't something to think about, Marinette. You should just know it."

"And I know it, Adrien. I feel it. In fact, I felt it the strongest when we were leaving the… That place. But now… I have so many thoughts about what happened there… And about what will happen tomorrow. And how's your mom… All those thoughts bother me now and ruin my happiness. But you should know that nothing has ever sounded in my ears as beautifully as you're saying you love me."

"That's weird, but I have the same impression." He grinned. "Nothing has ever sounded in my ear as beautifully as I'm saying I love you."

She nudged him after this joke. And he laughed in response.

"I really have to go, Adrien. It's almost midnight." She sighed.

"Rather impossible without Tikki."

"I can't wake her up. Nor detach her from Plagg."

"So, you have to stay for a night." He smiled.

"Adrien, we've already talked about it. No way."

"But I don't mean anything immoral, My Lady." He said. "Besides, don't you think it would be more comfortable to fall asleep having by your side someone dearest to your heart? After all those terrible things that happened today?"

"Adrien, this is a classic emotional blackmail."

"Because my charm hasn't worked."

"You're unbearable!"

"And all yours." He grinned.

She rolled her eyes. Yes, he was all hers.

"If they don't wake up till tomorrow morning, we'll have to take them to Master Fu." Marinette decided.

"I think we don't have time for waiting." A voice at the window replied.

Adrien and Marinette looked at that direction. They had been so focused on sleeping kwamis and themselves that they didn't notice a little man in a green nón lá hat. Moments later he detransformed and they saw an old Chinese in a red shirt.

"Master Fu?" Marinette exclaimed.

"Who?" Adrien asked.

"Master Fu, the Great Guardian of Miraculouses." She explained quickly.

"Good evening Ladybug and Cat Noir." Master Fu greeted. "I'm so glad to see you're safe and sound. I was worried I'd be too late."

"How did you know, Master?" Marinette asked in astonishment.

"Wayzz felt a disturbance of the world balance. Like he had felt two years ago when Nooroo, the Butterfly kwami was awaken. That was the reason I went to find Ladybug and Cat Noir then. And that was the reason I had to go today to save you. But as I can see, everything ended well."

"Not quite…" Marinette muttered.

And they told Master Fu all that had happened that evening. And then they showed the Guardian sleeping kwamis.

"I've never seen Tikki so exhausted." Marinette whispered. "What was that? Hawkmoth said something about a special material that could have been used in the Guardian Temple to control kwamis. But we don't know where the trap was installed. I'm so scared to go back there! I don't know where Tikki and Plagg were trapped and how Hawkmoth took them out to use them to make a wish. I don't know so many things!"

"I can't answer your questions, Ladybug." Master Fu sighed. "I have to talk to Nooroo. He will know more."

Adrien took a little wooden box and gave it to the Guardian of Miraculous, bowing with respect. As if he wanted to apologise for this father's mistakes.

"Thank you, Cat Noir." Master Fu whispered. "And the Peacock Miraculous?"

"It's locked in my father's safe. And the book is there as well."

"I need them back, Cat Noir."

"Of course. But I have no idea how to open the safe. Last time Plagg did it, but now we can't count on him."

"Wayzz will help us. We have to go there, Cat Noir. Immediately. We have no time to lose."


	15. Every story has its beginning and end

They left Adrien's room. Dusk around them gave Marinette goose flesh. It was a bit scary there. She definitely preferred her cosy flat above her parents' bakery. She hugged Adrien instinctively, and he immediately embraced her tightly.

They went into Gabriel's office. Suddenly, Marinette remembered everything that had happened here a few hours ago – when they fell into a perfectly laid trap. Now she clearly realised that Hawkmoth had planned everything in tiniest details, including highlighting his wife's portrait to show them the finger marks on the buttons. She shivered.

"It's over, Marinette…" Adrien whispered, but his thoughts followed the same path.

"I know… But I'm still terrified with all that. And when I think that he's… He's still there, Adrien."

"I know." He nodded.

They stood in front of the portrait. Adrien uncovered the safe and Wayzz opened it as Plagg had done some time ago. Adrien took out the spell book and the Peacock miraculous. He gave them to Master Fu solemnly, and the Guardian nodded in a complete silence. Adrien closed the safe and hid it behind the portrait. He turned to Marinette and send her a warm smile. She still didn't look too confident, so he embraced her and kissed her cheek.

"Let's go back to my room, OK?" he suggested.

Unlike Marinette, he felt more confident now. He had given back lost miraculous and the spell book to the right owner. He paid his father's debts. There was nothing more to be ashamed of.

"So, what's now? What will happen tomorrow? The police will come and what should we do? Should we talk to them as us or as superheroes?" Marinette was thinking aloud, when they returned to Adrien's room.

"It will be better if Ladybug and Cat Noir disappear like Hawkmoth." Master Fu said.

"But in that case the police will never explain my father's death!" Adrien replied.

"Do you really want them to do that? To what conclusions will they come if they rule out the magic that cannot be explained logically?" Master Fu asked. "You have to disappear as superheroes."

"But… Do you mean… Does it mean…?" Marinette stuttered and her eyes filled with tears.

"Yes, Marinette." Master Fu answered simply.

"But…"

"You must start living your own lives." Master Fu said. "I know you can't go back to the point of your lives before you got miraculouses. But you must admit that somehow your life is better now than it used to be two years ago."

"I'll miss Tikki…" Marinette whispered, and tears ran down her cheeks.

"And I'll miss Plagg…" Adrien added.

With trembling hands, Marinette took off her earrings. Adrien hesitantly pushed the ring off his finger. They both felt as if someone was taking away a part of their souls. They had grown so close with their kwamis. How could they live now?

"You have to focus on the future." Master Fu advised, looking at them with compassion. "Look how your life has changed. Adrien is not locked up in the house anymore. Marinette, you've become more confident. You've found each other, you have friends. You can do whatever young people like doing without being afraid of an attack of super-villain that will ruin your day."

"I understand all this, Master." Marinette said quietly, swallowing her tears. "I will miss Tikki for being my friend not for her ability to make me Ladybug. She's helped me so much for those two years. I could tell her everything and she always found good advice for me."

"Marinette. You have to be friends with _people_. And you are."

"It's not the same."

"Every story has its beginning and its end. _This story_ has just ended. You two begin writing a new one. You have to move on."

"Master Fu…" Marinette asked shyly after a while of trying to control her tears.

"No, Marinette. You won't find me at that address anymore."

"It's not that, Master…" Marinette smiled. "I wanted to ask how to come back home, since I can't do it as Ladybug."

Adrien looked at her in amazement and suddenly burst out laughing. Soon Master Fu joined him.

"I'll help you in your return, Marinette." The old man said at last. "I'm so proud of you both. I couldn't choose better." He added at the end.

Marinette turned to Adrien.

"So… I'm going."

"It's a pity…" Adrien sighed.

"We'll see tomorrow. In the morning." She whispered, and he pulled her closer to kiss her goodbye.

"Goodnight, Marinette."

"Goodnight, Adrien."

A moment later she was gone. And Adrien was alone in his great room – for the first time in two years he was completely alone here. With stocks of stinky camembert which he hated. What should he do with all this cheese now?


	16. Sunday invitation

It was a Sunday morning and Adrien woke up when he felt the sun on his face. He instinctively closed his eyes and rolled over. How good it was Sunday! He could sleep a bit longer. Unless Plagg started his whining for another portion of cheese…

Suddenly he remembered what had happened yesterday. He became awake immediately. He felt a pain in his heart and such a terrible longing for that little sarcastic creature, always hungry especially for smelly camembert. And yet… The creature so important to him.

They didn't even say goodbye to their kwamis. The mysterious Guardian of Miraculous came, took everything away and disappeared. As he said to Marinette – they wouldn't find him at that address anymore. Adrien didn't even know what that address was.

His thoughts drifted away to Marinette immediately. He remembered every moment he hugged or kissed her. That was something amazing! He still didn't believe that it all had happened! And almost, he almost persuaded her to stay for a night…

His memory was moving back more and more. He remembered his last talk with his dad and his heart hurt again. How could father treat them so ruthlessly? How could he let his son to sacrifice himself to save Marinette? Anger and indignation balanced his pain after losing his father, for whose attention and feelings Adrien had been striving for so long!

And now he discovered fear overwhelming him. Fear of telling his mom the whole truth. No, he couldn't do this. He must follow Marinette's example. Marinette, who answered his mother's questions without casting suspicion on his father.

Marinette… Again Marinette… How could he be so blind seeing only a friend in this wonderful girl! For so many months! What a jerk. Oh, right… He was in love with Ladybug. So, still Marinette… He laughed softly. It seemed that they had been meant for each other from the very beginning.

"Plagg?" Adrien asked as he used to do every day, getting up.

Silence. Oh, right. He forgot again. He was alone. As Master Fu had said yesterday – they had to learn to live their lives. To have friends among people. But Adrien knew that no one would ever be so special and so close as Plagg had been for two years. No one would ever know him so well as this little, caustic, beloved creature.

Suddenly Adrien heard he got a message. He took his phone. Marinette… He smiled.

_You're probably still sleeping, but…_

A second later there was another message:

_Sorry! I didn't mean to send it!_

He wrote back quickly:

_I'm awake. Something happened?_

_No. I'm just… missing Tikki…_

_I miss Plagg. – _he wrote and hesitated. After a while he added:_ \- And I miss you too._

_It's not the same. We can meet whenever we want. But we won't see Tikki nor Plagg ever again…_

_But it doesn't mean I can't miss you now. _– he answered, smiling unconsciously. He liked this morning messaging with Marinette. Even more when he got the answer:

_Oh, Kitty… Now you deserve to scratch your ears._

_Now I miss you even more!_ – he wrote back quickly.

He waited impatiently for her reply, but no message came for a while. He started wondering what could interrupt their nice conversation, when his phone popped up.

_Then come for breakfast._

That was unexpected. He stared dumbfounded at his smartphone and didn't know what to write back. On the one hand he couldn't wait to see her, and he would go to her even in five minutes. On the other hand, he had to take care of his mother. He couldn't leave her alone here.

_I'd love to, but I can't leave Mom. It will be too difficult for her to stay here alone._

The answer was almost immediate:

_Silly Kitty. Come with your Mom._

He almost imagined her rolling her eyes when she had been writing this. He laughed. What a girl!

_I love you, Marinette!_

_Well, I've finally got it in writing! :-) I love you too, Adrien :-*_

_I'll try to encourage Mom to go out. I'll let you know. Oh, does it mean I also have it finally in writing?_

She answered: _It looks like you do. I'll wait for a message. But I'll tell my parents, just in case._

He was about to write back to Marinette when he heard a timid knocking at the door. It had to be mom. He put down the phone and went to the door.

"Are you awake?" Emilie asked quietly.

"The sun woke me up." He answered. "I couldn't fall back asleep."

"I had a bad night as well. Today I feel even more shaky than yesterday. I don't even know what to say to all those people who work at our house. When should I call the police? How to explain all of that? What to say when they ask me where I was for two years?"

Adrien hugged his mother and suddenly felt so grown-up. How did it happen that he became a young man taking care of his mother instead of a boy who had been missing her for so long?

"Do you remember how Marinette's chocolate helped you yesterday?" he asked.

"Of course, I remember!" Mom smiled immediately.

"So… What would you say if we ate breakfast at her parents' bakery?" he suggested shyly.

Emilie looked at her son amused.

"Do you want to tell me that we got an invitation for breakfast?"

"Sort of…" he blushed.

"So, I think we shouldn't refuse." Mom immediately went into action. "We'll deal with problems later. Let your charming girlfriend know that we'll be in half an hour. Do you think it's not too early?"

"I… I'll ask…" he stuttered.

How did it happen that at a mere mention of Marinette his mother changed from being lost into joyful and excited? How huge was this girl's influence? Where did it come from? And how did it happen she'd seen anything in him?

It was just yesterday when they had been teasing who would be called a poor "ex" after clarifying their virtual relationship. At that moment Marinette claimed it would be her dumped by a famous model. But this morning Adrien was sure that between them two _she was_ the special one. And he… He would never let her go.


	17. Family breakfast

"I think these flowers were a stupid idea…" Emilie Agreste whispered in panic and checked her hair nervously.

"Don't worry, mom. Marinette's parents are really nice." Adrien calmed her down, taking her hand and guiding her to Dupain-Cheng's door.

"We should have bought chocolates."

"You said that it would be carrying coals to Newcastle."

"Oh, right! You're right, darling!" mom finally laughed. "But maybe _you_ should give these flowers?"

"I'm fine with this." Adrien murmured taking one daisy out of the bouquet.

They rang at the door. They heard quick steps and someone's stumble because something behind doors fell. Adrien smiled to himself and prepared for meeting Marinette. It had to be her – nobody else fell so many times as she did.

Indeed, there was Marinette who opened the door.

"Good morning, ma'am." She welcomed them with that smile which made hearts melt.

"I told you to call me Emilie." Adrien's mom reminded with a smile.

"Some things look differently in a daylight." Marinette murmured, glancing at Adrien. And she blushed.

Adrien hid the daisy he had took out of the bouquet. Her embarrassment was infectious.

"Please, come in!" Marinette whispered with a welcoming gesture, making room for them.

Emilie Agreste went into a cosy living room with a kitchenette, from where Marinette's mother, a lovely little Chinese woman in a beautiful dress, stepped out. When she smiled at Emilie, Adrien's mom had no longer any doubts about from whom Marinette had inherited her charming smile.

"Good morning! I'm so happy that you decided to join us and eat breakfast with us!" Sabine greeted her and guided her to Tom – busy with setting the table.

Meanwhile, Adrien came in hesitantly, closing the door behind him. Marinette was standing in the same place, watching their mothers. He took the opportunity and touched gently her hand with his fingers. She took her eyes off their parents and looked at him. In fact, they gazed on each other for a while, their hands instinctively met, and their fingers intertwined as if they had been doing that for years. Adrien smiled when he felt the familiar warmth of her hand.

"I got something for you, M'Lady." He whispered and handed her a daisy.

"You didn't have to…" she muttered in reply, taking her fascinated eyes off him to look at the tiny flower. She brought it closer to her face, turning the stalk between her fingers so that the daisy would spin around its axis. "Why daisies?" she asked and glanced at him curiously.

"Mom's always liked daisies." He replied, watching her captivated.

"I like them too." She whispered and smiled at him in a way that made him stop thinking logically. "Although in the case of flowers from you, I would probably like even nettles."

He laughed. He wanted to embrace her and kiss her so much. If only they didn't have their parents around… Marinette was right, in a daylight some things looked completely different than they seemed in the evening.

"Good to know." He stammered. "If I can't afford flowers, I'll come with nettles."

"You don't have to bring flowers." She clarified. "It's enough that _you _will come."

"Don't say that." He whispered in her ear, taking advantage of the fact that Marinette's parents were having a rather loud conversation with his mother.

"Why?" she asked in a whisper, and he got a chill up his spine.

"Because I'm at the end of my tether not to kiss you in front of your parents." He confessed quietly that only she could hear. "And you're ruining all my efforts."

"Are you ashamed of me?" she winked at him.

"Rather frightened."

"Of?"

"Your father…"

"Don't be. He's gentle as a lamb." Marinette smiled. "And besides, I have already told my parents about the nature of our relationship."

"Oh, does our relationship have the nature?" he asked in surprise, leaning towards her.

"How do you think?" she rolled her eyes. "It's Sunday morning. Do you really think I would invite _every colleague_ with his mom to Sunday breakfast?"

"I do hope not. But when it comes to you, it would be enough if this colleague had a tough day. You would even shelter a homeless dog."

"Or a stray cat…" she added with her smile, finally destroying Adrien's determination of not kissing her in front of her parents.

He gave up and leaned to kiss her. Happiness buzzed in his head when he felt she had climbed on her tip-toes and pulled him closer. They didn't even hear Emilie Agreste's sigh of relief nor Sabine's comment:

"Finally…"

Tom Dupain hid his smile under his moustache and continued setting the table.


	18. You like cats

"Breakfast was delicious, but I have never been so tired out." – Adrien said as soon as he came with Marinette into her room, leaving their parents downstairs.

"Tired out?" – Marinette spotted, closing the trapdoor.

"Well, be so close to you and have to watch myself."

"You didn't have to watch yourself." She replied, coming closer.

"Believe me, _I had to_." He smiled, embracing her tightly.

"Mmmm…"

"You're doing this again."

"What's that?"

"Your 'mmmm'…"

"I'm not doing that on purpose."

"Mmmm…" he wasn't convinced.

Suddenly they heard another burst of laughter downstairs.

"I think my mom probably hasn't laughed so much for whole her life, as she's laughing with you around." Adrien confessed.

"She didn't laugh so much before disappearing?" Marinette was surprised.

"She smiled a lot, but I don't remember too much laughing… I think it's something in you and your parents. You affect us."

"Affect you?" she smiled and winked at him.

"Making us happy." He replied, suddenly blushing.

"Uhm…" she murmured, putting her head on his chest. "You also… well… affect me…"

"You're cavilling!" he chuckled.

"And you're wasting your time talking." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "They'll call us downstairs any minute, and you're ashamed to kiss me in front of my parents, and…"

He interrupted her with a kiss. She was right. They were losing their time. He put his arms around her, and she climbed up and embraced his neck. He murmured with satisfaction. This moment could last forever.

Another burst of laughter came from the living room downstairs. They moved back from each other and looked down.

"Let's go to the balcony." Marinette whispered and took his hand.

It was just the same she had done yesterday, but this time Adrien was perfectly aware of what was on the mezzanine with _something_ probably folded on it. And what shape the pillow was… He blushed at the mere mention of his own thoughts that yesterday had sneaked into his head after passing her bedroom.

Marinette looked at him surprised, because he was rooted to the spot instead of following her.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Er…"

"The balcony, remember? Upstairs?" she winked.

"Yeah… I remember. Even too well."

"I don't get it…" she came closer.

But he couldn't find right words to explain why he became so uncomfortable when it came to go by her bed, pyjamas and cat-pillow. He remembered her talking about "degenerates" yesterday. What would she think about him when she discovered his thoughts?

"Well… The point is that…" he began with a strange hoarseness in his voice. "Well, you know…"

"I have no idea, Cat…" she whispered.

"Erm…" he cleared his throat. "You see… Uhm… How to… Er…"

"Just say it!"

"Because we have to go by your bed there!" he finally blurted with a terrible blush, closing his eyes.

Marinette looked at him in astonishment. She became as flushed as he had already been. And speechless.

"You want to tell me…" she said after a while. "I mean… I had no idea that this kind of thoughts come to your mind."

"They don't!" he denied but his deepening blush said something different.

"But you passed it somehow yesterday…"

"It wasn't easy…" he muttered.

And she suddenly remembered how he had taken a deep breath when they went on the balcony yesterday. Then she thought it was because he could finally breathe the fresh air. Now she had the picture of the full context of the situation and she understood that the cause could be completely different.

She laughed and flung her arms around his neck.

"I love you, Adrien. You're so cute!" she said and kissed him.

"You have a cat-shaped pillow…" he murmured after a while.

She smiled at him coquettishly.

"I do. So?"

"Nothing. But it turns out that you like cats."

"And you've discovered it right now?" she winked at him.

"Well…" he smiled. "I had some suspicions, but it's good to collect objective evidence."

"You still need more evidence?" she asked, climbing up again to kiss him.

"Never enough." He leaned and kissed her.

They didn't manage to go to the balcony, because a moment later Emilie Agreste called her son to go home. They sighed. Life invaded their happy bubble.

"I have to go." Adrien whispered. "We have some issues to deal with."

"Good luck."

"I'll come back in the evening. I promise." He said staring at her eyes. "Unless they arrest me."

"Very funny, Cat. I'm dying laughing…" she winced. "You'd better keep your promise and come."

"I will, M'Lady."

And he left.


	19. I miss him too

It was all over. The police did their job, the doctors took care of Adrien's mother, Nathalie dealt with the press. Marinette and her parents heard in the evening news a short report from the front of the Agreste's mansion.

_This afternoon we got shocking news. Gabriel Agreste, a famous fashion designer died last night. He was found this morning in his office. The police investigate the circumstances of his death. Unofficially we've found out that a heart attack was the cause of Agreste's death and participation of third party was excluded. For the news, Clara Contard._

That was all. Marinette sighed with relief. Fortunately, no one had combined facts and Gabriel Agreste wasn't called the most dangerous criminal of their time, who had been terrorising the city for two years. It would be difficult enough for Adrien to live with the awareness of whom his father had become. It would be much harder to live tagged as a criminal's son.

When Adrien came to Marinette's house in the evening, the door was opened by her mother. She smiled warmly at him. She had supported these two kids for a long time, and she was very happy that they finally got together.

"Come in, Adrien." She welcomed him. "I think you can go upstairs."

He nodded and went upstairs to Marinette's room.

"Marinette?" he asked uncertainly.

There was half-light in the room and when Adrien closed the trapdoor, it was too dark to see Marinette anywhere. He wished he could see in darkness as he used to do when he had been Cat Noir. Night-vision was a very useful skill and he missed that now.

Suddenly he heard a soft sniff on the mezzanine. He climbed up to see Marinette sitting on the bed, wrapped in a cat-shaped pillow, crying.

"Hey, what happened?" he asked concerned.

He sat next to her and embraced her. She burrowed into his arms and cried for good.

"I miss him too." He whispered.

"But you're not crying." She murmured.

"How do you know what I'm doing when nobody's watching?" He asked rhetorically, and she laughed through tears.

"I was holding up for the whole day somehow. Besides, I was too nervous about how you're doing, how did you deal with the police, if everything would be OK…" Marinette mumbled, and he instinctively comforted her by stroking her shoulders. "But in the evening… We always talked in the evenings. Practically about everything. About what happened to me during the day, or about you…"

"About me?" he spotted.

"Well, yes. About how I didn't tell you again I wanted to say. Or when I made a fool of myself in front of you again."

"I've never seen you making a fool of yourself!"

"You must have been blind then."

"Well, we've already agreed that I was blind. But in the case of my feelings to you."

"When did we agree on that?" she asked so surprised that she even forgot about crying.

"Oh, sorry. I figured it out by myself." Adrien realised. "Haven't I mentioned about that?"

"Nope." She glanced at him sideways. "But now I really have to ask you what made you realise that you love me?"

"I've hoped you won't ask…" he muttered blushing.

"You started it." She remined him, looking at him curiously.

She couldn't ignore the fact he looked away towards her pyjama left in the corner. Suddenly she felt hot. The ambiguity of the situation occurred to her, just as it had happened that day when they were hiding in the fountain. But unlike that day, Marinette didn't feel uncomfortable now. She was surprised that she felt… quite at ease, despite the fact they were sitting on her bed in semidarkness. She smiled and before Adrien found the right words to tell her what had made him realise his true feelings, she just kissed him.

At first, he was a little surprised, but soon he embraced her and put away logical thinking for later.


	20. My pyjamas?

"M-marinette…" Adrien whispered after a while.

"You're doing that again." She used his words from their morning talk.

"Not on purpose." he reminded hers.

"Riiight."

"M-marinette…" he began again and unwillingly stammered again.

"Y-yes?" she laughed ruining his efforts again.

"Stop it!" he laughed and hugged her tightly.

"My pyjamas? Seriously?" she murmured straight into his chest.

"Wh-What?" he froze.

"My pyjamas. It's all its fault."

"How do you know that?"

"I know you so well, Kitty. You didn't have to say it."

"I even wasn't able…"

"I've had no idea that day was so fruitful." She smiled.

"I don't complain…" he muttered.

He liked the way they were spending the evening – he was holding Marinette in his arms, stroking her shoulders, talking or just sitting lost in their thoughts.

"And you?" he asked suddenly.

"What: me?" she looked at him.

"What happened that you realised you love me?"

"It wasn't anything in common with that day." She smiled.

"Really? But…"

"But what?"

"But if you felt something to me… you would go home to change first, wouldn't you?" he asked, blushing.

"I'm not sure if you remember, but everything was happening very quickly. I didn't have time to change. I had to save you from the crowd."

"Wait. I don't get it. So, who did you mean when you said there was another boy?"

"Adrien, you're making a terrible mess." She laughed and moved back to look at him carefully.

"A mess?"

"Everything is quite consistent. From the very beginning it was you, silly. But you complicate it, because you assume that my clothes would be more important to me than helping you. As if you didn't know me at all!" She shook her head in a pretended disappointment.

"So…" he hesitated. "So, when I invited you to my surprise for you, you were already then…"

"Adrien… You've started mumbling. Ungrammatically, by the way. That's my part."

"Your part is to tell me if I was the boy who didn't let you fall in love with me." He decided to make sure if he had arrived at right conclusions a few days ago.

"Yes, you were that boy, Adrien." She laughed.

"So, since when?"

"Oh, probably you don't remember… But there was a day…"

"Once upon a time…" he cut in.

"I won't tell you!"

"I'm shutting up, M'Lady!"

"Do you remember a rainy day, when we were leaving the school… and you gave me your umbrella?"

"But… it was ages ago!" he exclaimed in astonishment.

"I know…"

"Wait! You've been in love with me since then?!" he asked totally shocked. "But… Why?"

Marinette giggled.

"You gave me your umbrella."

"You hit on me because of my umbrella?"

"You hit on me because of my pyjamas?" she answered back.

"Not true!" he denied. "Your pyjamas only helped me to realise what I had felt for a long time. But… What would happen if someone else gave you an umbrella then?"

"Probably I would be sitting with him right now." She joked. "Maybe… Maybe even in my pyjamas…" she added, teasing him.

"Marinette…" he whispered warningly.

"You should be happy. I could be _without_ the pyjamas…" she winked amused with his embarrassment.

"Marinette, please…" he closed his eyes for a moment.

"Come on, I'm only teasing…" she whispered, kissing his cheek. "You should know it's not about the umbrella."

"Not?"

"Of course not! It's about many tiny details that happened then! I can't explain that, but a lot of little things created a magical moment and… it just happened. I fell in love."

"But… How's that possible I didn't know that? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You think I didn't try?" she smiled. "I've just told you that Tikki comforted me practically every evening."

"And you miss it, right?"

"I think it will take me some time to get used to living without her. But, as you can see, I'm not crying anymore. You're as good at comforting me as she was. It seems to me that you can even have a little advantage…" she murmured and kissed him.


	21. A new chapter begins

The next morning, they met at foot of the stairs like they had met last week, a day after That Day. Adrien smiled to himself when he remembered his thoughts bothering him then.

"How are you?" he asked, coming closer, and Marinette smiled at him with this smile that always warmed up his heart.

"I'm OK." She answered. "You helped me a lot yesterday."

"I'm happy to hear that."

"I could get used to that you substitute for Tikki in the evenings." She whispered.

"I think I could get used to that as well. But I don't know what your parents will say to that." He winked at her.

"Why would they mind?" she was surprised, but he looked at her with such eyes that she blushed. "You are a little _beyond_ the scope of Tikki's support."

"I think it's _quite far beyond_ her support…" he replied with a grin. That was his sweet revenge for yesterday. And then he embraced her and kissed.

"Heeey, people! Adrien has come with his girlfrieeeend!" someone yelled again at school.

Marinette laughed and hid in his arms. And Adrien embraced her and led her inside. How different their entrance was in comparison to last Wednesday! Today they didn't care about all those people. The only thing that was important was that they were together. Besides, they could say they had already passed this stage last week.

"Hi, dude!" Nino patted Adrien on the shoulder. "How you're doing?"

"My condolences, Adrien…" Alya whispered and embraced him.

Adrien nodded without saying a word. He exchanged knowing glances with Marinette. After all, for their colleagues the death of his father was the news of the weekend, nothing else.

"Is it true that your mother was finally found?" Alya asked with typical journalistic curiosity.

"That's true." Adrien confirmed in short. He tried to overcome being surprised with the direction in which this morning talk had gone.

"What was happening to her for those two years?" Alya kept asking, so Marinette finally joined the conversation and admonished her:

"Alya!"

"Sorry…" she restrained herself. "I'm sure you're not ready for…" she stopped suddenly, looking at Marinette and Adrien standing hand in hand. "Wait… It's not what I'm thinking… Seriously?"

"What's going on?" Nino asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Alya frowned them down. "Couldn't you find a better moment?"

Adrien glanced quickly at Marinette. As he remembered the moment they actually had chosen, he had to admit that it was one of the worst possible. And probably the last possible one. It was almost _too-late-moment_. Judging from Marinette's face, she was thinking about the same. He almost burst of laughing, which – in the current situation – would be very inappropriate.

"You can say that we had no choice." Adrien muttered finally, and Marinette snorted of suppressed laughter.

"Marinette?" Alya frowned down again.

"Let her go…" Adrien said. "I was pushed to the wall. I can't even blame Marinette that she finds it amusing."

"But your father…" Alya began in a hopeless tone.

"He managed to give us his blessing." Adrien murmured, and Marinette bit her lip to not laugh.

"I'll kill you…" she muttered only.

"I'd like to see it."

"Me too." Alya added. "You wouldn't hurt a fly!"

Now even Adrien had problems with keeping serious when he remembered all the times when Ladybug had thrown the villains on the walls. Sometimes she hit even him, and she wasn't gentle in such cases.

"At least I've succeeded!" Alya noted.

"In what?" Marinette asked suspiciously.

"In shipping."

"What?!"

"Oh, come on!" Alya sighed irritably. "I've been shipping you for months!"

"What? If I remember correctly, you said you shipped me with Cat Noir and Adrien with Ladybug!"

"Oh, Marinette!" Alya laughed. "That was a smokescreen! You were so embarrassed in your own company, that I couldn't tell you the truth! So, I diverted your attention from the obvious. More, you started being jealous of each other. And voilà! You're together!"

Adrien exchanged glances with Marinette again. They didn't even try to convince her she was wrong. That was better. Her explanation was enough for people who would never know their secret and the truth about what had happened during the weekend.

"Apropos your superhero-admirers!" Alya began and Adrien felt that Marinette froze. "You know they disappeared?"

"What do you mean: disappeared?" Marinette pretended to be surprised.

"How do you know that?" Adrien asked at the same time.

"You don't watch TV?" Alya sighed irritably. "Yesterday there was a report about that. You know… I'm professional blogger, so I must be up to date. So, imagine that! The mayor informed officially that Hawkmoth had been defeated and Ladybug and Cat Noir left the city after their mission had been accomplished."

"Wh-what?!" Adrien and Marinette exclaimed.

Alya rolled her eyes.

"I got known later, unofficially of course, that the mayor had got a special message sealed with some mysterious signs."

Marinette looked at Adrien. They both knew who had sent this message. And they knew that it was addressed to them as well. Master Fu tried to tell them again that this chapter of the book had been closed forever. And although their hearts had been hurting for the last two days, they suddenly understood what his words meant.

"Do you think they are together now?" Alya asked.

"Yes, I think so…" Marinette smiled.

"You're too romantic." Alya sighed.

"Think about it, Alya. Maybe they didn't want to distract themselves as long as they had a mission to complete?"

"I don't buy it." Alya wasn't convinced. "There was no chemistry between them."

"Really?" Adrien asked in astonishment, and Marinette nudged him in response.

"I think the same. They were flirting with each other all the time." Nino agreed with his friend.

"Cat Noir was flirting with all girls." Alya commented.

"I think he was always loyal to Ladybug." Adrien said.

"So, what will you say about this picking Marinette up?" Alya didn't give up.

Marinette groaned from suppressed laughter.

"I didn't feel like being picked up…" she stammered. "You must be wrong, Alya."

"I give up then. But honestly, I like the idea that they are somewhere together. As a couple. Imagine how their kids will look like…"

Adrien and Marinette exchanged glances and finally burst out of laughter. Well, they had already known the kids' names… But this was a story for another chapter. They had just started writing the new one, with hope for more such moments like yesterday breakfast that would be repeated every Sunday since now, and like yesterday evening… And after a few years they will write the next chapter, and the next one. And in one of them there will be a story about Louis, Emma and Hugo…

Master Fu was right – each story has its beginning and its ending. The point is to write the story in a way that will make you keep coming back to read it again, and again… Then your life is happy and completed.

The end :-)


End file.
